Frank bonileor



(No Model F. BNHEIM.

BOX.

No, 585,905. Patented July 6, 18917.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

FLANK BONHEUR OF ATCIIISON, KANSAS.

sox.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 585,905, dated July 6, 1897'. Application filed October 24,1896. Serial No. 609,947. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom. it may concern:

Be it known that l, FRANK BONHEIM, of

' Atchison, in the county of Atchison and State of Kansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of said invention, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked the reon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to boxes for articles of merchandise which are usually kept in stock in layers in the original packages and separately sold therefrom. When such boxes are kept on exhibition in a show -case or elsewhere, the appearance of the stock contained therein grows poorer as the layers of thegoods are sold therefrom, and this is particularly noy f ticeable in the case of cigars and their boxes.

Furthermore, in country stores, where the stock is small and the sales slow, as the cigars are sold out of the top of the box the deep partially-emptied box becomes a place Where dirt is liable to collect and from which it is difficult to clean it.

The object of my invention is the production of a simple and cheap platform or table false bottom, as it might be termed,) which may be applied to a box of ordinary construction without altering the latter, which platform or table `may be readily lifted and automatically supported at varying elevations within ofthe goods flush with the upper edge of the box.` This not only preserves the original appearance ofv the stock, but also provides for the lodgment of. dust or dirt that may entery the box in the space below the platform and below the lower layer of goods.

My invention Will be herein shown and described inV connection withy a box for cigars, although not limited to such use.

I am aware that, broadly, I am not the first to produce a box for cigars or other goods having a false bottom that is vertically ad- .x justable in the box; but, so far as I am aware,

I am the first to produce a false bottom or platform or table which is'independent of any special construction of the box itself and which is provided with retaining dev ices for l holding it at the desired elevation, said retaining devices being,r brought into action autable removed from a box.

the box to keep the upper layer tomatically upon the lifting of the platform by 'means of suitable ribbons attached thereto.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is perspective view of my improved platform or Fig. 2 is a longigitudinal sectional view of a box adapted to contain four layers of cigars and with the platform resting on the bottom thereof. Fig. 3 is. a similar view showing the condition of the platform and the contents of the box after a layer of cigars has been removed and the platform elevated one step. Fig. fis a similar view showing the platform raised to its highest position, said figure also showing the platform4 as made of pasteboard or other suitable material formed to represent a layer of cigars when seen from the top.

In all the views the same reference-characters are used to indicate the same or .similar parts.

In the form shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3 the platform or table A is shown as composed of `cally in a box B. lIn one side of each cut' away portion or recess a is a stud a', having its end enlarged to form a head to retain the supporting-pins 1, 2', and 3 on said stud.

and have eyes at their upper ends, by means of which they are strung on the stud. As indi-' cated in Figs. 2 and 3, the board Avis also cut away at a, to form recesses in which the pins are accommodated when the table rests on the bottom of the box. r

Thereare four sets of pins-one set at each corner of the to have'the pins somewhat pointed, iu order to prevent the ones that are supporting the platform or table-and I prefer These pins are of 'different lengths, as shown,l

platform from slipping when the box is moved more or less suddenly. i

' When the platform A is to be placed in a box, the latter is tilted toward one end and the platform held in asimilar position, sothat the pinsat the upper end will lie nearly in the recesses d2,

and that end of the platform.l .may then be laid against the bottom of the box. O n then reversing the box and platform end for end the pins at the other end will move into the recesses a2, and then that end can be laid against the bottom of the box, which is then ready to be filled with cigars or Whatever other goods are to be sold therefrom.

rThen one layer has been sold, the platform A is lifted, as bymeans of the ribbons C, simil'ar to the ordinarycigarribbons, and the short pins l l swing on the studs to the positions indicated in Fig. 3. NVhen another layer has been sold, the platform is lifted until the pins 2 2 come to a vertical position, and when the third .layer has been sold the platform is again lifted, and the longer pins 3 3 assume the position indicated in Fig. et.

Vhen a plain flat platform is employed, the partial sale of the last layer would expose it to view, and I therefore propose to print the platform with the design or shape of a layer of cigars, said platform being constructed of some suitable material, such as pasteboard, and pressed, as shown in Fig. 4.

It is to be understood that the goods to be sold from a box similar to that illustrated are supposed to comprise four layers, but that when the goods arcto be placed in a greater number of layers the number of pins carried at each corner of the platform or table will be correspondinglyincreased. For four layers three pins in each set are sufficient; but when there are to be six or eight layers there vill be five or scvcn pins, respectively, in,

cach set.

` The pins serve as retainers to hold the platform elevated above the bottom of the box and are carried solely bythe platform and require no coacting parts or mechanism in the box to insure their engagement.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is l. 'lhe combination with a box, of the platform or table A having a plurality of supportinglegs or pins loosely connected thereto, said legs being of different lengths and engaging the 'bottom of the box.

2. VThe combination with the platform or table A having studs projecting therefrom, of a set of legs or pins having different lengths and pivoted on said studs.

3. The combination with the box B, ofthe platform A having an irregular surface and having at each corner thereof a pluralityT of loosely-connected legs or pins having different lengths and adapted to engage the bottom of the box to retain the platform at different predetermined elevations.

4. The combination with the box B, of the k'table or platform A having a plurality of sets of supporting legs or pins of different lengths to engage the bottom of the box, and said platform also having flexible strips connected thereto for lifting it.

In testimonyr whereof I affix my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK BONHEIM:r` Witnesses:

EDW. V. CONWELL, W. W. GUTHRIE, Jr.

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